


Tempt me if you can

by lalois



Category: KAT-TUN (Band), Kanjani8 (Band)
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Detectives, Alternate Universe - Thieves, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Chases, Crime Fighting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Foreplay, Inspired by Art, M/M, One Shot, POV First Person, Romantic Comedy, Secret Identity, Sexual Tension, Soulmates, Strangers to Lovers, Teasing, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:34:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22325665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalois/pseuds/lalois
Summary: Phantom Thief Yamaneko strikes again in Kurashiki, to get Monet's famous Water Lilies painting. Once there, his ally Ohkura will bump into a very determined security guard, Nishikido Ryo.Ohkura Tadayoshi likes beautiful things, and Nishikido definitely is.
Relationships: Kamenashi Kazuya/Yamashita Tomohisa, Nishikido Ryo/Ohkura Tadayoshi, Shibutani Subaru/Yasuda Shota
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5
Collections: Je-united Exchange 2020





	Tempt me if you can

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ladyc2](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyc2/gifts).



> First time for me to write about Kame/Yamaneko (& Yamapi) so I hope both Kame, his personality and his relationship with Ohkura will not sound too OOC.  
> I made use of your prompts and kind of mixed them together!  
> All the references about Kurashiki, the Ohara museum and the Water Lilies painting are real.  
> It was complicated to write & sum up, but quite funny at the same time. A very long story is awaiting ahead, I hope you enjoy!

Kurashiki is a charming place, indeed.  
Magnificent weeping willows adorn its historical Bikan district, the preserved area where several kinds of arts incidentally flourish. The Ohara Museum of Western Art is one of those jewels, and that is also the reason why I'm here today.

It's a beautiful night with a bright moon. As I look up towards the white globe, I recall Natsume Soseki's famous quote.  
'The moon is beautiful, isn't it?'  
It could easily apply to these lovely and historically preserved streets especially, where couples stroll along the riverbanks holding hands under the moonlight.

Unfortunately, I cannot enjoy the romantic scenery this city has to offer any longer, for I am on a mission here.  
Kame-chan has already penetrated the western-looking building to retrieve the Water Lilies, and I’m following.

It's almost a pity we have to remove such a precious piece from here, given the long journey the painter Kojima Torajiro-san had to take in order to bring the original painting to Japan, straight from Claude Monet's home in France. But that cannot be helped.

It should be just a matter of few minutes, though.  
The halls and corridors are nicely lit even during the night, but there's only one security guard patrolling the rooms, while another one is in the office getting bored with the security cameras. Japan is a safe place, after all.  
After eluding the alarm system, we placed fake videos in the cameras so that all the monitors would keep showing deserted corridors while we’re infiltrating the museum.

And here we are: the security guard guy is currently patrolling some other rooms, and it's me who has to check on him through the mini-monitor on my watch, so I gave Kame-chan the okay and he rushed straight to get the painting.

"K-chan, he's now moving," I warn him through the mic, in a whisper. "He might decide to turn- no, wait, he's definitely turned towards the wrong corridor and at this pace he'll reach your room in a few minutes' time. Seems like he's got some sixth sense, darn. How long will it take you to be done?"

>> Distract him just a little, T-chan,<< he orders me in the earphone, >> I'm nearly done here. <<

I roll my eyes.

How to, darn? No time to think, let alone to act. But if I don't do something soon, Kame-chan will be found out. And we cannot be found out, yet.

I should not have to be doing this, for I'm the brain dude here, rather than the action one like Kame-chan is, but anyway.

Oh come on, Ohkura Tadayoshi. You can do this. Kame-chan always says you're brilliant after all, doesn't he?

I breathe deeply, and then I start running to reach the corridor where the security guard guy is; I stop right before turning the corner separating us, checking on him in the tiny monitor again. He’s at the other end of the corridor and he’s heard my footsteps, for he suddenly turns on his heel and decides to pursue such echoes rather than the place where my friend is. Good. By doing that, he's leaving Kame-chan's spot, so that he’ll be left undisturbed.

“I’ve heard some steps in the C-Hall 4. Can you locate something?” a hoarse voice says a few meters behind me. He’s probably speaking to his back-office colleague. The fake videos won’t reveal my presence, but I need to have this guy far from Kame-chan and passed out from stun spray as soon as possible anyway. I peek from the corner, making myself partially visible to him, and then I quickly move from my spot.

"Hey you, stop there!" he barks in a louder voice, and he starts chasing openly after me.

This is bad. I'm so bad at running, shit. He's already right at my heels because I literally suck at doing this. So when I turn left at the corner, I stop abruptly and the man bumps into my back. He seems so surprised from my silly move that he does not even react by blocking me in any way. It’s just a matter of seconds now, Tadayoshi. Concentrate: turn on your heel, spray him before he can see too much of you and then flee. I turn, but he suddenly blocks my right arm and I have to get his other arm pinned to the wall with my free hand before he can do or think anything else.

As I take a better look at him, I cannot help but smirk.

He's petite, shorter than me, with a frail body frame, dark hair and some faint hint of a moustache and beard. I could crush him. He doesn't even look like a cop. I can bet he's just a newbie here.

And still, his dark eyes look fierce as if piercing through the mask hiding half of my face, and when they meet mine I'm frozen for a second.

Very, very interesting eyes, I have to say. Black ones gleaming in boldness rather than fear or pride. Kind of droopy eyes of rare beauty, embellished by a mole right under the left eye and a tempting twin one not far from his mouth.

Soft and rough lips, also.

I'm on them before I can think straight.

My tongue is forcing its way into his mouth and he gasps and moans wildly rather than pushing me away, his hands gripping around the elbow on the fabric of my black leather suit.

He's kissing me back, challenging me with the twirls of his curious tongue, and I'm kissing him even deeper and harder. An uncontrollable make out that seems to have me space out completely.

He tastes good. Way too good.

>> Done!<< Kazu’s voice echoes in my earphone, and I’m thrown back to planet Earth.

>> Let's go back. <<

Shit.

I pull back from the droopy-eyed guy, kinda out of breath, and stare at him. He looks equally at a loss about what to do with, or expect from, me.

He didn't foresee this, not at all. He could not, nor could I.

'Nishikido', the name tag on his chest says. But then, his warm grip on my elbow does remind me of who I am, and I have to go now.

I take a step back and use the snooze spray to finally knock him down. What a pity, darn. I leave him unconscious on the floor as I run away, still out of breath, the taste of him still lingering on my dry lips. Kame-chan is already waiting for me out of the museum, in the nearest Bikan alley; he winks at me when he shows me the cardboard tube where he safely tucked the oil on canvas painting after carefully rolling it up, and we disappear into the night.

**

The following morning my warm duvet gets pulled off me without any notice. I crack one eye open only because I can sense Kame-chan staring at me, and I am not wrong. He looks very pissed off. I blink once, then twice.

“Good morn-“  
  


"Please explain this to me," he cuts me off, grumbling low, as he literally drags me from the bed to the living room, turns on the television and makes me watch the latest news. Where, apparently, the biggest concern about the incredible theft perpetrated by Phantom Thief Yamaneko yesterday night is not about the loss of the famous Monet masterpiece from the Ohara Museum in Kurashiki, but rather some other very trivial detail, like… the presence of a second thief and the ridiculous mask the guy was wearing in order to hide his identity.

Shit.

The ruckus of this is so completely wrong.

“I… I have to say I don’t get this,” I tentatively question my friend, furrowing. “You did leave the message telling them the painting we took was a fake, didn’t you?”

“I did, of course.”

“Then why are they ignoring the ominous scandal in order to talk about the stupid mask you gave me?”

“Maybe because so far no one knew that Thief Yamaneko had an accomplice, let alone a silly one?” Kame-chan replies, frowning even more.

“Hey, wait, wait. I’m definitely not the attention-whore here, Kame-chan, and I haven’t got the slightest intention of stealing the spotlight from you, not even when-“

“Not even when there’s a hot guy who does seem to know so maaaaaaaaaany details about my little Kobo-chan accomplice, mmmh?” Kame-chan teases me, narrowing his eyes and beckoning for me to resume watching the news on television. That's when I see the press taking endless photos of the droopy-eyed guy amidst a creek of cops questioning him, notably Inspector Murakami and his right-hand man Detective Yokoyama of the Okayama Prefecture.

>> It has also become a personal matter now, so it’s my duty to collaborate the best I can, >> I hear Nishikido say to several microphones, a slight furrow marking his eyebrows.

"He's the one leaking information about you, apparently," Kame-chan tells me, intercepting my gaze.

"It's the security guard guy I told you about," I tell him nonchalantly. "He was about to break into the room while you were retrieving the painting. You told me to distract him, and that's what I did."

"Kobo-chan, ne? Now they definitely know I'm not acting alone," Kame-chan sighs, shaking his head.

"No way I could have ever put on the Hyottoko mask you had given me as the other option!" I cry out, hinting to the backpack where the plastic mask of the character of Kobo-chan from the animated Sazae-san series is hidden since the events of yesterday night. "At least Kobo-chan is a human being," I frown, “The cat ears of your knitted hats and cat mask aren't even so!"

Kame-chan offers me an evil grin, and then walks closer to face me. He's scary, but at least I'm taller.

"Do I have to remind you how it all started, Tatsu? How you basically whined you wanted to be of help too, and then I told you my little secret and let you in on it completely?"

"N-no," I utter.

"Good," he says, patting me on one shoulder. "Because, you know... the truth is I'm incredibly proud of you, babe!" he adds, patting me even stronger and winking at me with an open smile.

"Eh?" I blink at least twice, unable to grasp what's going on here.

"I was joking," he explains, winking again and offering me his trademark meowing cat pose with his fists. "I'm not mad. I'm very impressed, actually. Not only did you deal with the situation nicely, but you even managed -however unpredictably- to bring this fake Water Lilies case to the spotlight in a way we could only dream of! This is great, Tatsu, and maybe this time we'll get to uncover the truth about the real painting missing from the Ohara Museum for who-knows-how-long, after working on its traces for so long!"

“Mmh… you’re right.” It’s been ten years already since I made friends with Kame-chan, but sometimes he’s still able to fool me completely.

“I’d better pay a visit to the Ohara soon, though, to take a closer look at this guy,” he tells me.

“Eh? Why on Earth?”

“Apparently he’s been promoted and will be transferred to the Police headquarters in Okayama in a week. Our dear Murakami and Yokoyama duo, they both want him with them to chase us better, since so far he’s the only one who had a one-on-one encounter with the daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangerous Yamaneko clan, and even if it’s dangerous, we have to keep an eye on-“

"I... might have kissed him," I blurt out, out of the blue.

Kame-chan stops his delirious chatter and looks at me.

“Excuse me?”

It’s frankly ridiculous, but I feel my cheeks burn a little while I bite my lower lip, a bit uncomfortably.

“I kissed him, yesterday night,” I slowly repeat, meeting my friend’s eyes. “There’s no point hiding that from you and there’s no background story for it anyway. It just happened in the middle of some little brawl before I had him unconscious. I would have told you anyway.”

During the long minute that follows, Kame-chan keeps staring at me with some undecipherable expression.

“I’m glad you’re not blind, Tatsu, for this Nishikido guy is indeed a pretty hot one,” he quietly replies then. “Don’t fall in love with him, though. He’s playing on the enemy’s side out there.”

“No need to remind me,” I snort.

Kame-chan leaves my place with another wink, and I slump onto the couch as the television is still focusing on the Water Lilies case and the brave security guard guy.

Does this mean I’ll have to see him again? I don’t know how to feel, even less what to think.

**

I like beautiful things. I always have.

I am a lucky guy, for even though I'm an average one, I can do modeling for a living, and I enjoy a lot of beauty in my daily life indeed, from art to jewels, not to mention gorgeous people.

I'm not as famous as my fellow colleague Kazuya Kamenashi is, but I'm pretty much okay with that. It was my dear friend Maru-chan, who works as a photographer in the entertainment industry just like us, who introduced Kame-chan to me during a photoshoot we had together, about ten years ago.

When on stage, Kame-chan is a real diva; he says I'm the same, but I'm definitely not... I'd say I'm still learning from him, instead.

We've been roommates for a long time, too. He's recently moved out to live with his boyfriend Yamapi. In the living room of their apartment there's now a beautiful frame hanging and displaying the fake Water Lilies canvas. No one would ever guess it's the same painting that had been stolen yesterday night, not even Yamapi, should he not be in on the secret as well. That guy is some kind of saint, honestly.

It was right after a gossip conversation with Maru-chan that Kame-chan felt like entrusting me with his secret.

I'm far from thinking the entertainment world is all happy frills, and when Maru-chan told me the sad story about the veteran Shibutani Taeko, I reacted quite badly. I wished I could do something for her, for she's one of my favourite actresses since I was a child, but I could not be of help. That's probably the reason why I fell into the trap, when Kame-chan asked me to join him and get back the pearl choker the old woman thought she had lost. At least until it publicly appeared on the neck of the young mistress of the man her daughter had just divorced. Long story short, Kame-chan happened to overhear both the conversation between me and Maru-chan and my open outburst after that; that very same night, in the little apartment we shared, he told me pretty much everything about the legend behind the Phantom Thief Yamaneko, and I've been his sort of ally ever since.

It’s theft and it’s not, at the same time; it’s a matter of doing the right thing even when justice itself cannot, according to me. Throughout our work, we both happen to come across various diplomatic incidents or unpleasant situations like Shibutani-san’s ones. We merely try to fix them, the best we can.

My mobile rings, distracting me from my thoughts.

“Moshi-moshi?”

"Nice ass, he's got. Maybe a little too thin for my own taste, but it’s not my taste we’re talking about, since I’m already happily taken. And I'm definitely not surprised you've got such good taste in men after all, Tatsu," Kame-chan’s voice tells me like an avalanche, “and Pi agrees and says that among the jewels kept within the Ohara Museum, he’s a relevant one himself.”

“I guess you’re in Kurashiki for a romantic trip, then,” I reply, ignoring his sarcasm together with the subtle mentions of a certain guy.

“Pi is a charming guy who loves art, it would be a waste not to bring him along. And Kurashiki is a very romantic place indeed. You should try it yourself. If you get what I mean~.”

“I told you it’s not like that,” I bark in reply, before hanging up the call, upset even though I should not be.

What I hate the most, though, is that Kame-chan’s probably so damn right.  
  


I need some fresh air. Or maybe it's really just an excuse to see that guy again.  
  


I take my time in Kurashiki; the Bikan district is a mere ten minute walk from the train station and looks equally lovely in the daylight. It's a warm day despite the chilly season, and the river stretches beautifully along the area, packed with tourists, families and couples in love strolling around or having lunch together. When I cross the little stone bridge facing the Ohara Museum, I immediately spot something equally stunning: it's him, the Nishikido guy, with the very same dark yellow security guard uniform I saw a few days ago.

I was already wondering what he's doing outside the building, when I realize I already have the reply before my eyes: there's a flock of children surrounding him, and they're all staring at the guy teaching them how to properly feed a couple of swans apparently nestled in the bend of the river, below the weeping willow, at a distance of merely three meters from where I am.

I cannot help but stare at such a bucolic scene, so different from the last harsh image I remembered about him on television. Nishikido's smile is tender, filled with glee and astoundingly amazing. It makes him look a bit naive and maybe slightly younger, but definitely even more attractive.  
It might be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen on Planet Earth so far, way better than jewels, paintings and precious items whatsoever. I am sorry, Claude Monet-san.

He looks up and notices me and I shiver, before I can have the presence of mind to tear my gaze away and resume my stroll along the river.  
I'm wearing sunglasses and a large, trendy hat today. I even had my hair dyed shiny purple for work yesterday. No way he could have ever recognized me. But still, I feel as if he could have seen right through me.  
  


**

I love beautiful things.

Once every three years, the area around the Seto Inland Sea becomes a blessed place, whenever the international art fair called Setouchi Triennale takes place through a series of spectacular artworks displayed in the open air on twelve different islands -including the gorgeous Naoshima and Teshima-, and the two sea ports of Takamatsu and Uno.

While people come from all over the world in order to visit these places and admire their works of art, I’m lucky enough to live nearby: the latest summer edition left me frankly speechless, and it was during the very same edition that the all-round artist Yasuda Shota got recently acclaimed for his mixed media compositions. He's a pro at potteries, paintings and even playing the guitar apparently, for he's released a matching song for his huge “Under the Sea” fish artwork, after such individual artwork had been selected for the Setouchi Triennale. It has become so widely popular that it was decided that the blue giant fish made of tiles would become a permanent artwork, located beside the shore at Takamatsu port. A few colleagues of mine have already had some photo shoots right there, and the allure of such a piece of art is undeniable. 

Little did I know, back then, about the details Yasuda-san would reveal later on to someone very close to Kame-chan. The thing is, despite his young age Yasuda-san had to undergo some critical surgery; it went well, but apparently the operation was so risky that Yasuda-san ended up confessing in tears the only regret he had about his life to the surgeon who was in charge of the whole thing. And, curious as it might have been, such guy was none other than Kame-chan’s boyfriend, Yamapi. That is why our upcoming target is a tiny glass core bearing the name “Watashi Kagami”, a special mirror hidden within the giant blue fish: while Yasuda’s convalescence will allow him to gain back strength, we’ll take care of the mission we’ve received from him. Even if he’s still pretty oblivious of the fact that his prayer arrived straight at Yamaneko’s ears.

As we reach the Takamatsu port, I feel proud and nervous at the same time. The blue tiled fish is standing there and… what? Wait, what?! Why is there a human figure beside it? And why does it look exactly like that Nishikido guy?!

I turn towards Kame-chan, but he seems unimpressed.  
"What the heck is he doing here?!" I whisper, trying to keep my composure.  
"Oh… I might have invited him," Kame-chan casually says.  
"Youmighthavewhat?!?"  
"You said 'I might have kissed him' when you actually kissed him back then, so I told you 'I might have invited him' when I actually invited him to join us here. That's just it," he replies matter-of-factly.  
"That's not the point, Kazu!" I shriek. "Are you nuts?!"

"I merely happened to take possession of one of the business cards in his pocket when I visited the Ohara Museum. I can bet it wasn't very gentleman like of you, the way you dumped him last time, so I thought you'd better have a proper chat tonight," he goes on, while I keep staring at him almost sickened.  
"Don't make that face, I didn't invite Murakami or Yokoyama, for they're not even remotely as charming as your Ryo-chan is."  
"Ryo-chan?"

Kame-chan hands me a calling card out of nowhere; I don't even have to read its details to know who it belongs to, but I do take a glimpse at its kanji symbols anyway. Ryo. It's a beautiful name.

"Please don't lose the precious piece of paper, okay? It might turn up useful sooner or later," he concludes, patting me on the shoulder.  
I groan, but follow him anyway, and we walk closer to the giant artifact shielded by Nishikido Ryo’s tiny frame.  
"So you really showed up, Yamaneko!” Nishikido shouts in a clear voice.

“It’s not my policy, to be unfaithful to my own plans, you know,” Kame-chan replies, laughing openly.

“Then how about we make a deal today, and today only?"

"How bold of you, newbie!"

"That's what you deserve for inviting me here!"

Kame-chan turns to look at me; despite his cat mask, I can bet he's smirking right now.

"I'll let you steal the mirror if that’s what you aim for, but I want to have a word with you!" Nishikido goes on. We walk closer to the giant fish statue, until we're a couple of steps away from Ryo.

“You’ll let us steal the mirror, uh-uh…. What would dear Inspector Murakami think of you, I wonder,” Kame-chan teases him. Stop it. Please stop it, I’d wanna say. He’s a good guy.

“None of your business, Yamaneko,” Ryo snorts. “I came. That’s all you should worry about,” he replies, to which Kame-chan bursts out laughing quite aloud.

  
"Mmmh, you’re a cute kitty, boy. And still, you’re just a kitty. How about we refine the so-called deal?" Yamaneko asks him. "While I retrieve the mirror, the two of you will take your time and have a proper, nice conversation. It's him you need, right? My Kobo-chan."

Ryo narrows his eyes, but I turn towards Yamaneko to glare at him. How dare he? I'd yell at him, if only I could. I cannot find the words, but Ryo seems as much at a loss as I am.

"… Fine," Ryo growls then, and he doesn't move a muscle when my fellow companion runs past him to get to the core of the statue. He looks up at me, narrowing his eyes even more.

“I studied your case file, you know,” he starts, “and there’s always something that doesn’t quite match with the whole thief scenario. Let’s talk about the Water Lilies: it's definitely not like Yamaneko to steal a fake painting and brag about it with a message. Unless what you actually meant to do, through such theft, is the ruckus itself. Maybe your real aim is to expose what's behind the fake, right?”

I don’t reply, even if I would like to. Why is he so damn blunt and so damn on point? I don’t want him to be. He needs to despise me. Chase me. Tell us we’re scum for doing what we do.

“I don't think you're as bad as you like to portray yourself, but I guess the two of you have your own reasons as well, right?” he goes on. “Like, I cannot imagine why you would ruin the Yasuda masterpiece, but I didn’t even know there was a retrievable core made of a mirror inside it. Yamaneko mentioned it in the notice he sent me… so I guess that if something like this exists, it must have been Yasuda himself who made it so and thus… there might be reasons for him to have you steal it. Isn’t that so?”

I would like to tell him. So much. He’s just inches from the truth. The only thing he has not guessed right is that such a mirror is a token of love, that we’re meant to retrieve and later deliver to the musician Shibutani Subaru. I didn’t know they admired each other to this extent. But what Yasuda told Yamapi, that day in his hospital bed, was that there was a promise he could not fulfill. The giant fish is the finest art created by Yasuda so far, but it was also supposed to be a temporary exhibition and meant to be dismantled after the summer edition of the Triennale. Yasuda had promised Shibutani, who had been constantly praising his art skills through the years, that once it was over, the mirror core of the blue fish would have been the only part to survive… the only part that could not be destroyed, just like his feelings. But things went differently, and the fish became popular and permanent, and its core and its feelings were unpredictably sealed with it. Until today.

“Hey, are you listening to me?” Ryo asks, and his voice takes me away from my reverie. “Because there’s something else I need to ask,” he murmurs then, almost inaudible. "... Why did you kiss me?"  
Eh? Of all possible other questions, this one?

This one?  
Well, it does makes sense. I kind of... sexually assaulted him during a theft, now that I think about it. Oh dear, I'm the worst.  
  


"Can you talk? Or maybe you cannot? Are you mute?" he urges me, and his eyes do look worried.

"I am not mute nor deaf. I've heard you quite well," I mumble, voice low.

"Oh. I'm glad," he exhales, opening up in a sudden and pretty gorgeous smile that lights up his hardened expression at once. Needless to say, I'm having a hard time focusing on anything at all right now. Anything but him.

"And a pretty one you have too. Voice, I mean," he says. "Sorry, I'm still leaving you no space for... sorry, please go ahead," he gestures.  
Oh my God. Is he stuttering? A security guard who even faced Yamaneko openly is now babbling in front of me? How can he even be like this?!

“But I’d really wanna know… why did you kiss me?” he repeats.

"... Why did you kiss me back?" I venture asking him.

"Mmh, you're a tease," he frowns.

"I'm a thief, actually," I retort, to which he bursts out giggling softly, shaking his head. Such a sound is healing, seriously.

"Okay, I got it. No more questions."

"Sorry to interrupt the flirting here, but I do actually have one," Yamaneko meddles in from nowhere. "I'm done with the mirror I was supposed to take tonight, but it's clear you're not done with whatever kind of conversation you were supposed to have while I was busy. So I was thinking: how about I take my leave and leave you, Ryo-chan, with my little Kobo-chan here? I'm pretty sure you can deal perfectly without me and maybe even better, who know-"  
"Shut up!” we both say in sync, Ryo and me. Yamaneko looks as surprised as I am with myself. Ryo looks from me to him and then back again, until Yamaneko speaks again.

“I’ll take care of this,” he briefly tells me, gesturing to a thick wrapping in his hands, “just tell me when you’ll be done taking care of him,” he adds, teasing, just to let me know he’s back to his usual self.

And then, when it’s just Ryo and me and leaning against the tiled fish, Ryo says something very straightforward again.

"I have been married, you know," he confesses, "but I haven't been a good husband."

He lets his words sink in, while my heart starts throbbing in a way I have yet to understand.

"Two years ago I realized I started having feelings for a male colleague at work,” he tells me. “I was confused. The more I denied it to myself, the worse I ended up being around my wife. We started therapy, and failed miserably. I never actually cheated on her, but I couldn't bring myself to cause such strain to my wife, not when the respect itself was to me something quite essential in our life, so I divorced her. In the end, I never dated that guy afterwards, I even resigned from work and applied for a completely different kind of job. It was around that time that I started working at the Ohara Museum.

I’ve tried dating a few other guys, but somehow I’ve always felt more confused than aroused around them. I’ve always felt at fault. Being the wrong one, you know. That is until… until that day. When you kissed me, I was suddenly reminded of who I am... or the one I have become, I don't know.”

He stops talking and brushes the back of his hand against his forehead. He looks mentally exhausted.

“I was so angry at you, you know? I thought I was leading a very peaceful life in Kurashiki… the town is vibrant, plus I had my job, and I could please myself with the sight of the Water Lilies on a daily basis and then… and then you suddenly came and stole everything from me. All my certainties gone, in just one hour’s time, on that fateful night.”

“That means I’m an excellent thief, I guess,” I tell him, making him snort with laughter.

“Indeed, Kobo-chan. And, by the way, I was wondering… Would you keep sending me notices about your next thefts, if you don't mind? Starting next time, Murakami-san and Yokoyama-san will be informed about those messages. As for me, I'd love to chase you in the open. I want to play fair, because I do want to be the one catching you, one day."

My throat aches. He cannot say… cannot say…  
I pull him to me by the nape and peck him on the mouth. He pulls back immediately, this time.

"I might get used to this, if you don't cut it out," he murmurs softly.

"You know nothing of me.”

"What if maybe I know enough?”

No, you don’t.

But I don’t tell him, and I press my lips to his once again instead. He moans into my mouth as if wishing to sink in completely. Me too. Me too. I know what lust is and yet, I’ve never been kissed like this so far. His tongue wants to ravage what’s left of my mental sanity. The clean smell of his after-shave is intoxicating. His hands reach up to my nape, caressing my bangs.

His fingers tease the elastic band keeping my mask in place, they play with it back and forth, and yet they refuse to pull it and have me unmasked.

It would be so simple. But he does not dare.  
He wants to know who I am, but at the same time he doesn't want to force it. He wants me to do it myself, when it's time.  
I need to kiss him more. And more. In places I have yet to think straight at.

I want to -and it's amazing, given how picky I am with people I've shared a bed with- make love to him. To a man I barely know anything about.

One of his hands suddenly pulls my side more against him, and that's enough to make me feel a gush of heat coming right from my insides and press him even harder with my tongue, to which he eagerly replies with rolling his hips in a very, very, and again very dangerous way against my own hips. Oh, god. I want this.  
And then, he pulls back from our make out session, panting quite hard.

"I had promised him I would have let you go back unscathed," he murmurs, biting his swollen lip.

"I haven't heard this part, before,” I retort. “Maybe I'm indeed a bit deaf, like you said.”

He laughs again, as carefree as he should not be.

“A promise is a promise,” he insists. “Please make it home safely. I’ll be waiting for your next notice, okay?”

He straightens his clothes. Those very same clothes I'd love to tear apart, to have his nipples bared and make love to him here, on the shore, under the shadow of the blue fish. Who'd care?

He's beautiful. Beautiful.

And that's how I've fallen in love with him, with gentleness and righteousness personified. In a world where people throw those values away in exchange of power, money and mistrust, Ryo-chan is a rarity. He's beauty.

**

I keep my promise to him.

We keep on chasing each other, one theft after another, with him running with all his might and me using my brain to have Yamaneko and me out of the claws of the police. From time to time there’s Ryo and me groping at each other's butt when no one notices, or secretly making out in the darkness of the night, while Inspector Murakami is tailing Yamaneko and me without having the slightest clue of how to properly do it.

Above all there’s me, missing Ryo way too much when there's no new theft on our agenda, when work keeps both me and Kame-chan too busy for anything else.

I do keep his address, of course, that’s where I constantly send him my notices. I could get into his apartment whenever I wanted, but that's not how we want it. Not yet. Even if, more often than not, I fall asleep with his tender smile in my head and my hands in my pants, thinking about him, coming in a few strokes at the mere thought of him sucking me off.

I need him. I miss him. I want him in my life, way more than this.

Because he's a tireless believer in justice, he's gentle and afraid to hurt people anytime, because he believes in people first, and facts afterwards. Because he says I've made him learn that even facts can be counterfeited.

The night we spent handcuffed together, I had told him so. It was a rather first-time freezing night and Inspector Murakami had managed to grab hold of me while I was handing Yamaneko an artifact. It was supposed to go back to its place in a museum after a trade with another exhibition, but we had found out the item once belonged to a family who had been robbed of it a few decades ago, which is to say the commercial trade had never been legal to start with. So there we were, retrieving the piece to hand it back to that family. The thing is, I had lost myself contemplating this beautiful item finally safe in my arms, and after Yamaneko had told me to watch out, I had found myself with a wrist tied to a thick metallic web.

Yamaneko had immediately knocked Murakami out with the snooze spray, and the police had been too busy worrying for their missing Inspector to notice I was hiding in a darkened corner of the building. Kame-chan had also left, warning me not to move until he would be back to rescue me.

Needless to say, Ryo-chan had found me. He had first found Murakami, actually, and then he had spotted me. He had told the police there was no other evidence of the thieves and he let them pick the unconscious Inspector up and bring him to the headquarters.  
And then, some fifteen minutes later, he had come back alone.

His hair was a bit messy, even more after he tried to unlock me without success. He had apologized to me with a sweet smile for being a useless dude when it came to rescuing a thief. I couldn't help but burst into open laughter. Next thing I knew, he had handcuffed himself to the very same metallic net and had thrown his key far away.

"So that when Yamaneko will come to rescue you -because I know he's on the way-, he won't start picking up on unfair prerequisites between us," he told me, grinning.

I was speechless.

"Why don't you report me to the police instead? It would be so much simpler. We've had fun, I owe it to you but... that's it, Ryochan. I'm a thief. You're a man of justice. What we do is embarrassing enough, if we are to admit it openly."

"I'm not very sure we're standing on opposite sides anymore, actually. You know that already, even if you won’t ever tell me the truth," he had replied, raising an eyebrow. "Inspector Murakami would never admit it because he's a proud man, but Yokoyama-san actually told me that the rate of solved crimes affiliated to art is higher than others, and coincidentally enough you and Yamaneko are often into it. Right?”

I had said nothing, at first. But then, Yamaneko was late, and I was starting freezing my ass off, actually, right when I'd much preferred having my ass very warm in Ryo-chan's hands if I were honest.

His cheeks were pale, and I needed to have him stay awake, as well. So I started confessing to him a little bit here and there... not the whole frame of course, just some details... to have him even more confused about us. Or maybe, to have him more intrigued by the puzzle I was in his eyes.

When I had become a man whore even during thefts, I did not know. But Nishikido Ryo had such bewitching power over me and somehow, I knew I could perform a very similar charm on him.

That night, we have been so close to losing control.  
  
When I had told him that the very first time I had kissed him was because I liked beautiful things and that I thought he was a beautiful thing himself, he had laughed in embarrassment. But then, he had come closer to me and his hand had run on my thigh to caress it, and a loud moan had escaped my lips when his fingers reached my crotch.  
I wanted to come in my pants straight away, I swear.

He had found my eyes and groped my private parts through my thick black outfit, and he had licked his lips when he had seen the effect his fingers had on me. He had locked himself too far away for rubbing himself against me, he had one bare hand only and yet he pulled down the zip of my leather jacket first, and the one of my outfit next. His free hand had found the nipple beside my racing heart. His cold fingertips had squeezed it and he bit his lower lip, mirroring what I was doing with my own lip.

And then, he had pulled at his own handcuffs in order to get closer and I did the same, and our tongues finally met in a particularly heated kiss. I was dying of deprivation and mentally swore at him for being so damn righteous with handcuffing himself too far away, but the sensation of his warm mouth on mine pumped hot blood throughout my veins and I felt like being born again, out of the raw passion I felt for him only, and it was seriously amazing. When he had pulled back, I was out of breath and so was he, but at least none of us was dying of cold anymore, and I guess he had thought the same thing, for he giggled softly right when I pouted at him.

And then we had heard a soft clap and a whistle coming from right above us.

"If I knew you liked being teased like this by our dear Ryo-chan, I would have let the two of you make out the whole night long, I swear," Yamaneko had shown up.

I felt like dying, that night, for more than one reason.

He had set me free and allowed Ryo-chan the same freedom, 'for keeping Kobo-chan good company', he had said.

But back in my apartment, the little sexy show cost me a whole month of the little allowance I was given from Kame-chan for my help. Well, it had been much worth it, given that I had told Kame-chan endless times that I didn’t want him to pay me for helping him out with the thefts. But he never listened, of course.

As for Ryo-chan... maybe he’s not exactly by our side, but that is not what worries me the most anymore.

**  
Time has passed since then, and apparently our work behind the scenes finally brought its results. After the uproar we had caused by taking the Water Lilies, and Ryo-chan's appointment at the Police Headquarters, the Ohara Museum in Kurashiki had also brought a team of experts for a further check: the most recent and still secret news mentioned how the real painting had been there for sure up until a couple of years ago, when the whole museum had been renovated inside.

While a company had been chosen to work on the redecorations, another one had to make sure all the valuables inside would not suffer from humidity, scratches or such during the works. Each of the paintings had to be carefully identified before and after the relocation to prevent any attempt of theft, and every one of those had been confirmed as original after the works were done. All but the Water Lilies. The sign on the paper released back then proved to be a very good fake.

While the police is still working on the whereabouts of this paper, given that the company has gone bankrupt in the meantime, Kame-chan and I are anticipating them already, as usual.  
And since we've found out where the real painting is now, we're going to rescue it tonight.  
It's in the private villa of a wealthy businessman; incidentally enough, one of his relatives was involved with the company that marked the Ohara valuables back then, and he committed suicide two years ago.  
Incidentally enough, Ryo-chan texted me a few hours ago, saying he's going there after having been called by the businessman himself who specifically told him: “the one I own is an exquisite copy of the Water Lilies, but apparently the thief Yamaneko likes stealing fake paintings nowadays, and that means I’m not safe anymore.”

If the idiot thinks he can bamboozle Ryo-chan, he's a real idiot. Having protected the fake painting during these recent years, Ryo-chan would now recognize every little detail of it, which is to say he would probably be able to detect the real painting.

Which is to say my Ryo-chan could be in danger.

That’s the only thing I can think about on our way to the villa. Kame-chan is also pretty silent, which is quite unusual of him. I guess he senses it too… there’s something weird about this whole thing. And then we can see it from our hiding: the man is showing Ryo-chan the Water Lilies canvas, and Ryo-chan does seem nervous, to my eyes, however carrying that very peculiar captivating gaze… the one saying he won’t forgive anyone making fun of him like that. The man suddenly brushes the back of Ryo’s fingers with his own, and I feel like burning inside. Hey!

I snatch one of the ear buds from Kame-chan’s ear, gaining a nasty look from my fellow colleague, but I don’t care.

“This painting is like no other… but you saw it already, right? You’re a witty one,” he’s saying, “and I’d love you to work with me. I can pay you thousands of times more than the ridiculous wage the museum offered you. Just let me tell you that you are wasted as a security guard, even more as a detective. Life in this villa won’t be boring anymore, Nishikido-san. It will just come with your silence about this little painting. The silence, and the promise you’ll be allowed to look after it as much as you want. So? How about it?”

“What I actually find ridiculous is your proposition, sir,” Ryo-chan replies. His normally hoarse sexy voice sounds cold and sharp like a razor now. “And I am afraid to tell you so, but this painting will come back with me. Inspector Murakami and Detective Yokoyama are on their way to this place, and thanks to your voluntary confession, we don’t even need to further investigate you.”

“They’ll have to bring back a corpse, then,” the man says, and to my utmost horror, he points a gun at Ryo-chan’s face. Ryo doesn’t move, while I cannot even breathe anymore. I turn towards Kame-chan, searching for help, but he’s not here by my side anymore.

“Sorry to disturb the finest conversation ever, but this painting will come back home with me,” I hear Yamaneko say, and I mentally curse him for being such a drama queen always. His sudden appearance is enough for Ryo to hit the man’s arm, make him lose his grip on the gun and make me breathe from relief.

What I know next, though, as I reach the villa myself, is that both Yamaneko and Ryo-chan are engaging a serious fight against the man’s bodyguards that appeared from nowhere, and the man is trying to flee with the original Water Lilies painting. It’s almost too easy for me to snatch it from his hands, convinced as he is that he had left all enemies in his living room. The approaching sirens of the police also convince me that he has nowhere to go anymore and still, it’s not over. I’m jumping up over the table to go back to Yamaneko’s side and I manage to give him the painting, but what I do see next is Ryo running with all his might towards me, pushing me and screaming something I cannot hear properly. And then, he’s collapsed in my arms and there’s blood all over his chest.

He’s unconscious. And I’m dying inside. I’m dying with the one I love.

**

He's my man, Nishikido Ryo.  
No one can harm him or take him away from me. No one.

I cannot stop crying.

Since I’ve apparently been in shock up until an hour ago, Kame-chan had to call for help and somehow, with the help of his boyfriend, they managed to wriggle the four of us away from the hustle of the police arresting the man and his thugs. Then, they had Ryo-chan and me safe at my place. Kame-chan told me it took a long while to persuade me to let go of Ryo-chan’s bleeding body. I don’t remember a single thing. All I can think about is that moment… of him falling like a limp body into my arms.

Kame-chan forced me to take a sleeping pill, while Yamapi took care of Ryo-chan’s wounded shoulder. And then, when I woke up, they told me the operation went okay, that Ryo-chan is strong and that he would be a brand new man in a short span of time. While I nodded, I couldn’t stop crying. They left with the painting, and I’ve been staying at Ryo-chan’s side ever since.

He’s so beautiful, even in his sleep, even while bearing such pain.

I cannot help but look at him with teary eyes when he opens his eyelids, wincing from pain.

"Hey…" I hiccup, in a broken voice.

"Hey..." he replies, and tries to raise an arm to caress my wet cheek but fails, for the tight bandage on his shoulder reminds him of the pain from the shot.

"I must be a very lucky guy, if I can wake up and see such a divine creature even when in Paradise.”  
I shake my head.

“I’m afraid this is no Paradise… it's just me. It’s totally my fault you got shot. My fault only. And I'm not beautiful at all, you see? If you had never met me, you would have never ended up with a gun hole in your shoulder. That’s for sure."

A tear escapes my mask and lands straight on Ryo’s cheek.

"If I had never met you, I would not know what being myself means," he mutters in reply. "I’ve never seen your face indeed, but I can tell, so far, you must be an incredibly beautiful person. That’s what you are, to me, at least."

He slowly raises his other arm and his index finger starts tracing the profile of my concealed nose and the shape of my eyes, before allowing his fingers to brush a few of my strands of hair off my masked forehead.

"Kobo-chan..."

"I'm no Kobo-chan to you," I cut him off, "I'm-“

And then I stop dead. Who am I, to him? The real me, Tadayoshi the freeter model, can he face him proudly? I am not sure, and still, I let Ryo-chan's curious fingers pull up the mask, as gentle as a feather, and reveal my eyes, my bangs falling over my eyes, my tears even.

I can see him stop breathing for a moment, and maybe I’m equally short of breath myself.

“You do really look like a little Kobo-chan”, he says, in the sweetest voice ever. Ryo cups my cheek, looking mesmerized almost. His wandering fingers end up caressing my shaved nape, where I’m the weakest, and I moan softly.

“Won't you tell me your real name? Please?” He asks me.

“It's not beautiful,” I object.

“It's yours, though, hence relevant.”

Why does he make me feel like he can conquer everything about me?

“It's Tadayoshi,” I finally sigh. “It reeks of old, right?”

“No, it does not. Tadayoshi…,” he slowly repeats. And I really wonder why in Ryo-chan’s mouth my name indeed doesn't sound ugly at all.

“Tada-“

I kiss him, to shut him up.

“I never said you could use it to your heart’s content,” I hiss into his mouth.

“Can't I, Tadayoshi?” He mocks me, despite his condition.

“There's a price coming along with it.”

“I’m willing to pay for it,” he insists.

"You'll have to make love to me,” I blurt out.

Man, I’m the worst. Asking him to such extent, right when he’s in such pain because of my own doing. When I should just apologize and disappear from his life.

He doesn’t reply immediately and stares at me, instead.

“Is this supposed to be blackmail?”

“I'm a bad guy, after all,” I remind him.

He chuckles, or he would like to, but the pain stops him abruptly and he hisses instead.

“I’m sorry,” I tell him, “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“This does not sound as a punishment at all, to me” he tells me, breathing deeply to lessen the pain. “I was just wondering whether I’d manage… I’m pretty unable to move,” he sighs.

“I'll take care,” I hear myself reply.

“Are you really sure? I know it’s shameful of me, but it's been so long since the last time I-“

“I'll take care,” I insist. He stares at me, just like I keep staring at his black charming eyes.

We don't mention it, the way we feel. It would be pretty pointless, anyway.

His free hand pulls me down to him. I steal a kiss from his lips, while his thumb keeps creating small circles on my nape, making me numb and triumphant at the same time.

The truth is, there's something else I want to show him, after my real face and my name, even.

It’s me, naked.

It’s a bit awkward, the striptease I offer him. I shiver, and my fingertips are nervous when fumbling with the zipper of my black leather jeans. I suppose that cannot be helped, for I'm used to have people staring at me when I model for work, but Ryo-chan's definitely being a totally different kind of one. He might be holding his breath while looking at me, but his eyes locked on my body are making me feel like a puddle of messy emotions.

I am bold under his soft gaze; I pull down his jeans and boxer shorts and then I straddle him, sitting carefully on his lap, proud of the effect my nudity alone is having on his hardening cock.

I let my thumbs toy with my own nipples, under his curious eyes. I can still remember the way he touched me there once. The memory is vivid enough to make me close my eyes while I pinch my sensitive skin. Ryo moans loudly, as if he's the one being caressed to this extent, and when I open my eyes, I can see his cock is clearly responding. I cannot help but take it in my hands and stroke it vigorously from base to tip. Ryo howls, and I wanna howl, too. He's too beautiful for this world.

It doesn’t take long to realize I’m leaking already, right on Ryo's thigh. He smiles when he notices, and he slowly caresses my inner thigh to see more of me, losing control. I rub myself shamelessly against him and the muscles of Ryo-chan's leg harden just for me, right for me to increase the extent of my incessant rubbing, until I come just from frottage, howling ridiculously and panting hard, a beast in the need for unbecoming caresses.

I come between his legs and I want him to feel the same, and even better.

I want him inside of me, I want his cock to throb within me. I want to be his, now and eternally. His cock is hard, glistening with precum, so beautiful.

I like beautiful things.

I bend and take him in my mouth, and I hear Ryo-chan cry from sheer pleasure.

I know, now, that it's the very first time for him. He revealed to me that he's never fucked anyone's mouth before.

I'll make it glorious. I'll make it ours.

"Please tell me if it hurts anywhere," I tell him, before resuming my sucking.

"Please tell me you're not going to stop now, please," he whines, and his cheeks are so red, his forehead so sweaty and his bangs so messy that I cannot help but find him terribly cute, even now. His hips seem about to explode for real while he frantically pushes for the pleasure he’s desperately seeking, and I lick him in an even more obscene way, scraping the skin with my teeth. And then he’s roaring with pleasure, coming straight into my mouth, and I feel like an accomplished bitch.

I squeeze his cock affectionately after I’m done and move to kiss his mouth, before I remember that maybe he doesn't like it, finding his own taste on my tongue. But he kisses me back harder instead, so I guess it's a yes. His free hand pushes me more into him and we make out like crazy again, cocks dying from impatience again as we rub against each other in a rather explicit way.

He flinches a little because of his shoulder, and I ask him if he wants me to be more careful, since I'm not exactly a light weight.

"You're the purest of drugs," he giggles, and I swear I could come again on this only but no, this time I want to please him more, and better.

“Fuck me,” he orders me from his pretty mouth. “Please fuck me hard, Tadayoshi.”

“No way,” I retort, “You’re wounded, and there’s something way better we can do together.”

“Eh?”

With his cock in my hands, I'm ruling the night. I’m slowly descending on his hardness, rolling my hips to be fucked to the bones, while Ryo-chan’s lips are singing a dirty litany I definitely want to know more about.

He’d love to vocally protest about my resolution, but he cannot. He’s too busy focusing on the provoking lovemaking we’re being trapped in.

This is sex like I've rarely had it. Sexy and sweet, glorious. Unprecedented.

With him buried inside me, I'm dying inside, and will be born again. The Tadayoshi he's loving. It's me, starting from tonight.

The orgasm catches the both of us completely off-guard, with him thrusting into me like he should not, and me coming straight on his stomach, right before slumping shamelessly against him.

He kisses my forehead, my nose and my temple, still panting hard. He looks so exhausted and yet, so serene and peaceful.

“… I finally caught you,” he murmurs then, smiling softly. I kiss his nose, with a lump in my throat.

Morning finds us still horny and naked and cuddly, with his hands palming my ass and mine on his hip, and us making out again with me carefully making sure I don't hurt him where's wounded.

I cannot stop looking at his content face. He's a mess, but the good kind of one. He looks tired and sweet, hot and mellow. He looks mine, just mine. To think I’ve been so close to losing him forever. That doesn’t have to happen anymore.

Now that I think about it… I hope Kame-chan won't butt in as usual. Not that I would care that much, but I would not appreciate him staring at my naked man too easily.

That is why I listlessly have to tear myself away from the temptation that Ryo-chan is, and head to the kitchen to write Kame-chan an e-mail, asking for a quick meeting about what to do with the Water Lilies painting. I have yet to ask myself what to do with Ryo-chan knowing my secret, actually.

I leave him there, in my bed, asking him not to move and promising him I’ll be back soon. At Kame-chan’s apartment, we discuss it: Ryo-chan has basically disappeared from the crime scene yesterday night, wound and painting and everything, but we do agree that the most simple thing to do is to hand him the painting and all the credits for its rescue.

We never intended to keep the original painting to start with.

“Is it okay for you if we let your boyfriend take all the credit for the fake thing issue?” Kame-chan asks me.

“He's not my boyfriend,” I quickly correct him.

“Oh really, not yet?”

I bite my lip. We haven't exactly talked about it, but it's too complicated, when you're a thief in love with a special detective and besides, he’s already risked way too much for me. I cannot let him.

“It shows, you know?” Kame sweetly tells me. “That you've just had the best sex marathon of your whole life.”

I have the decency of blushing faintly, just like Kame-chan has the decency of sparing me more of his usual irony. He knows, just like I know, that there’s no future for Ryo-chan and me out there.

That I’ll have to tell him, as soon as I come back home, that it’s been amazing, but it’s over anyway.

I needn’t say a word, though. Ryo-chan is already gone from my apartment. Without a word, without a message. The only thing left about his presence are my sheets stained in his blood and crumpled from our massive lovemaking.

This is so ridiculous. A policeman fled from the house of a thief.

I wanna cry. I knew something like this had to happen and still, I feel so sad.

For an instant, I wonder if maybe I’ve always been wrong about him. What if he reports me to the police? He knows my name and my address now. Plus, he had no reason for disappearing like that.

I call Kame-chan and inform him of the latest news. I also ask him the favour of delivering the painting and all the papers we gathered for this in a dossier at Ryo-chan’s place, all by himself. I do not feel like seeing him right now. And it’ll take some time for this to heal.

Two days later, we see it on the television: the famous Monet painting has been found and will be coming back to the Ohara museum soon. Just like Nishikido is, after resigning from his special appointment in order to resume his job as a security guard at the museum. The police wanted to offer him a badge for his bravery and for delivering all the details about the Water Lilies case, but he’s apparently refused it all, credits included.

"I am very happy I could work with Inspector Murakami and Detective Yokoyama during these months, but the truth is I definitely cannot take credit at all, as for what this case is concerned,” he says to the press urging him for some explanation. “All the information has been provided by some people I unfortunately cannot name directly. It would not please their policy and thus, I’ll be respecting their choice. Even so, please do not look at me anymore. The painting is back to its original place, and I’ll be happy to humbly serve the Ohara museum again, should they be happy to have me back as part of their staff. And that is all I have to say on the matter,” Ryo-chan concludes, bowing deeply at the cameras.

When I turn off the television, I start crying helplessly, like a child.  
  


**  
  


It’s been about a month since the last time I’ve heard about Ryo from the news. Just like he wished, the uproar following the Water Lilies case ceased after a few days, and he might have been forgotten by the press already. That's what I hope for him, at least.

This morning I received an envelope with two special tickets enclosed; it’s a luxurious invitation to join the party that the Ohara Museum will host next weekend, to celebrate the renewed inauguration of Monet’s Water Lilies painting, now restored and finally back in its place.  
There’s Ryo’s fancy signature on the letter accompanying the invitation, and while I know one of the tickets is meant to be addressed to Kame-chan and both should be delivered to Yamaneko and his Kobo-chan apprentice, despite no hint indicating such thing on the letter, I wonder if it’s alright for me to attend such party as the simple Tadayoshi I am.

Even so, I choose wearing my best gala suit; in front of the mirror, the reflection I see is that of a fine young man indeed. Apart from maybe from the purple red hair I cannot get rid of, after he's had his finger threaded in it.

Kame-chan joins me in Kurashiki. The party is nice enough for him to get distracted with gourmet food and people to praise, and "our" painting looks fiercely amazing; my attention, on the other hand, is all for the black-haired guy wearing a gorgeous tuxedo, smiling apologetically to everyone and meeting my eyes from time to time.

It’s not until the gala is over that I pull at the white collar binding me, tug at the bow tie and frantically rush out of the museum to look for Ryo-chan, who is nowhere to be found, again.  
I'm in some desperate need for a private word with him, even if he probably isn’t.

“I am so glad you could make it,” a quite familiar voice says, right behind me. I turn, only to find Ryo staring at me with both arms neatly crossed behind his back. It seems like his wound has healed completely, luckily, and he looks stunning to say the least.

“You might be wondering why I behaved so badly that day, leaving your place like that,” he starts out, even before I can utter a single word, taking some steps towards the Bikan Alley and inviting me to follow him.

“The truth is, I panicked. Not about you, or about us, actually.  
When I checked by belongings that you had so kindly brought along at your place, I saw I had received a message from the police headquarters; they had been looking for me all night long. With the painting taken by Yamaneko and me disappeared after having been so badly injured, things looked somehow pretty weird, at least from their point of view.

That was when I understood I had to leave your place as soon as possible, if I wanted to protect you as much as you had done me, and fix things with the police. Chances were high that I could be investigated, as well... and that's what they did, actually. Even after I had explained in detail what had happened that night at the villa, I have been further questioned about it. Luckily there was no evidence of us exchanging contacts, after I had deleted that only text I had sent you that night. There's never been anything linking the two of us, actually... and that was for the best," Ryo gently says, smiling sadly. "I didn’t expect you to deliver me the painting though, honestly,” he goes on, shaking his head. “I did not deserve such a thing… not after having failed protecting both you and the painting from that man’s claws. But anyway, that was what you and him decided for, and that was all I could do, in the end. To pay respect to your own ultimate wish.”

He stops walking and looks up at me.

"Needless to say, I could not contact you anymore, for your own sake," he confesses to me, "right when I had stepped down so that our worlds would stop clashing, the media kept pressing me about my words. 'How about your chase of Yamaneko and Kobo-chan?', they urged me. I told them I was not interested anymore. They took it as an act of cowardice, but I honestly don't care."

"It's pretty unfair, though," I tell him, "since you had actually caught me for real, in the end."

The ghost of an embarrassed smile opens up on his lips. Man, I had missed this. So much.

"I lied, though," Ryo insists. "I might not be interested in fame, but I'm still interested in you, Tadayoshi. You stole my heart and I don't know where to look for it anymore, would you believe it?"

I should not, but I want to. I definitely want to, and the racing heart in my chest is confirming it all, the way I feel for him.

"Serves you just right," I pout, "You thought you could let me have a passionate night like that and then let me go? No way, Ryo-chan!"

"So... if I were to wonder whether I could ask you out on a date... wouldn't you turn me down?"  
I take a couple steps towards him, until there's no space left between the two of us. Until I bend and I tenderly brush his lips with mine. It's just a peck and yet, it feels like the most nervous kiss of my whole life.

"Again with this habit of stealing kisses..." he murmurs rather amused, after I pull away. I cannot help but repress a giggle. He's biting his lips, and his eyes are beaming.

"So where is it, that you wanted to take me out today?"

"Oh. Well actually, Kurashiki Bikan Alley is a lovely place itself. I thought I could maybe buy you something cool at the denim blue street shop down the way. It's famous worldwide, you know? They even sell blue nikuman at the shop nearby, we could maybe grab a bite of those, if you don't mind. Someone told me your favourite color is blue..." he trails off, “is it even true?”

I laugh.

Kame-chan again, ne? If he doesn't butt in, he's not happy with himself.

"Me too, I wanna know more about you," I confess to him, taking his hand in mine. "I might have had a guess about which one is your favourite painting so far, but what about the rest? That is, if you're really convinced you want to hang out more with me. Are you really sure? I'm a suspicious guy after all..."

"… Because of the purple red hair, you mean?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.

I laugh again, throwing my head back, finding him staring at me when I open my eyes again.

"This time I won't have to flee," I try to reassure him, squeezing his hand, "so let's get started from where everything began, Ryo-chan..."

He quickly pulls me down to him.

"I think I remember some heated kiss, then," he murmurs, frowning.

“I think I remember more than one,” I tease him, pouting.

He proudly goes for it, and I let him. And that's how a certain Ryo-chan and his little Kobo-chan start again with a kiss, in the beautiful Kurashiki.

**Author's Note:**

> As you might have noticed throughout the reading, I made use of several Kanjani8 RL facts like the TORN "Kobo-chan" thing, Ohkura's favourite colour, Yasu's pieces of art, even Natsume Soseki's quote and so on.  
> I hope you appreciated.  
> Thanks for reading and for this exchange. It's always a pleasure taking part in it!


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